Ascension Of The Weakest Tamer

The Awakening Ceremony

"Do you think this is a gala for the genetically unfortunate?"

The voice cut through the noise of the Grand Hall and Rex didn't need to turn around to know who said it.

He could feel the stare burning into his back from another pre-awakened.

Today was the Lunar Awakening. 

A day where every child from each of the families; or bloodline would awaken their beast and seal their faces in a world where the class of your beast determines your status in the society. 

Rex's stare met Harold Blackwood's—the heir to the family that previously employed Rex's parents as servants. Behind Harold stood Patricia, Rex's ex-girlfriend, clinging to his arm and smiling like she'd just won a prize.

"I didn't know it was a party for the over-pampered and brain-dead either," Rex replied with a shrug. "But here you are."

A few gasps rippled through the crowd, stunned by Rex's audacity. 

Harold's face twisted into a scowl. His fists clenched as he stepped forward, flanked by his usual pack of rich lackeys.

 They moved like wolves, ready to tear Rex apart. It wouldn't be the first time. Harold treated Rex's parents like dirt, beating them at the slightest opportunity and he treated Rex like something lower than dirt.

"Seems you want to die before you know your pathetic fate right?" Harold growled.

But before he could do anything, a guard stepped between them, pointing at the rules carved into the marble wall. "No form of violence is allowed within these walls!"

Harold backed off, but his glare promised pain. He raised his voice so the whole hall could hear.

"Did your poverty-stricken parents really let you come here? That's honestly cruel. They know your bloodline hasn't awakened so much as a mole since the beginning of time. 

And you? You couldn't awaken a dead worm if your life depended on it."

Laughter rolled through the hall in raging waves Rex's hands balled into fists. He could take insults about himself, but when they mocked his parents—people who worked themselves to death just to survive—his blood boiled.

Memories flooded back, the image of his mother bawling her eyes out clear as day: "Rex, you can't go there. For three generations, we've been the cursed bloodline. No one from our family has ever awakened anything talk less of decent!"

"That doesn't mean I shouldn't try, Mom." Rex replied with a forced resolve. 

His father's broken voice: "The shame will crush you, son. Your great granduncle tried, and the one before him and they all eneded taking their own lives."

Rex understood and was afraid too and wanted to stop but there, he could not afford to live their kind of life anymore. At least, he had to try and fail.

 He was tired of watching his parents bow their heads to people like Harold. He had to try, even if he failed.

"You're not cut out for our world, Rex," Harold whispered, leaning close. "My family awakens legendary sea beasts every year and sky beasts while the most you can do is dream and wet yourself at night."

"Better a dreamer than a nightmare everyone wakes up screaming from," Rex shot back.

 "Besides, I heard you still need three servants to give you a bath. I mean I bathed you for a while when I was still around. 

Are you really sure you can handle a beast when you can't handle a bar of soap?"

"Wooo!" The wall echoed back the exclaims of other participants. 

Harold's face went red. "You little—"

Just then, a booming voice cut him off. "Take your places!"

Darius Kane entered into the hall, one the city's most powerful Beast Tamer. His scarred face and cold eyes made it clear he had no patience for teenage drama.

Harold growled once again. "We will settle this right after!"

The ceremony began. A massive blue orb was unveiled at the center of the stage, swirling with a pulsing light. One by one, students approached to discover their life-time fate.

"Gerald Robinson!" Darius called out to the fast person. 

A nervous kid scrambled forward up to the orb.

The moment he touched the orb, it flashed and after a few moments, spectral deer appeared above his head.

"Bronze-class deer!" Darius announced and polite applause followed. Bronze wasn't impressive, but it meant a future.

More names were called. Most got Bronze or Silver-class beasts—wolves, hawks, bears. Respectable creatures that guaranteed academy admission.

"Patricia Mogue!"

Rex watched his ex strut to the stage. She touched the orb with practiced confidence, then bright light erupted, and a gleaming silver hawk materialized.

"Silver-class Steel Hawk!" 

Patricia smirked at Rex as she descended and the crow gaze cold stare that caused his soul to shift.

"Like owner like beast!" He muttered under his breath. 

Then came the main event.

"Harold Blackwood!"

The hall instantly fell silent. Harold walked to the stage like he owned it, radiating absolute confidence, each step proclaiming his place in this world as lord.

He placed his hand on the orb without hesitation.

The explosion of light was blinding, cutting deep through every eye in the hall.

When it faded, a massive eagle soared above Harold's head—twenty feet of emerald crystal wings and burning eyes.

"Emerald-class Storm Eagle!" Darius announced, genuine respect in his voice.

The hall erupted in deep applause that stayed longer than usual. Emerald-class was nobility. It meant Harold was set for life. He descended the stage with his chest puffed out while Patricia rushed to embrace him.

Most people stared at him with reverence, others with pitiful jealousy.

"We did it!" Patricia ran forward. 

But Harold shrugged her off. "Go prepare my bath. Being legendary is exhausting, you know..." And Patricia nodded like a loyal dog.

Harold moved right to where Rex stood and leaned forward.

"See the difference between a god and a worm? Don't worry—when you awaken nothing, I'll hire you as my beast butt cleaner."

The announcer checked his list, his face twisting with distaste. "We have... one more." He said with a hint of suppressed irritation. 

"Rex Thornwood."

He said the name like it tasted bad.

The hall fell silent, but this was different from Harold's acknowledgement of reverence, sovereignty and nobility.

Rex could feel the sting of their mockery, chuckles and giggle here and there.

"The cursed bloodline."

"It would take the good fortune of a thousand gods for him to awaken a chicken!"

"This is going to be embarrassing."

Their words drained off Rex's hearings, he walked up the stage, his resolve breaking off with each step that he took.

He wanted to run away, his parent's words awake in his head.

But he remembered the memories. How they were beaten and almost killed, all the insults that he had endured over the years, days where he almost lost his life.

Rex was officially tired of being weak and being nothing, he wanted a chance at life too like every other person in this room did.

His nails crawled deeply into his hands but the pain was barely acknowledged. 

With the deepest breath, he placed both hands on the orb.

"This is iconic!" He could pick Harold raging mockery through the numerous giggles of the crowd.

Then it happened. It started with a small golden pulse of light from the orb.

Then it grew bright and hot, dead hot. The light grew until everyone had to squint or be blinded by the intensity of it until their eyes were completely shot.

Then the orb, that had kept the sacredness of this civilization for years shattered right before their very eyes. 

And right in the middle, something seemed to glow, pulsing with light and everyone gawked.